Double by Mateo Retegui, Italy struggles but beats Venezuela
Mateo Retegui’s double, Italy struggles but beats Venezuela
At Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Luciano Spalletti's Italy beat Venezuela 2-1 in a friendly match.
After two minutes Rondon è alone in the box but is pulled already; by Buongiorno, an unexceptionable penalty that forò the same Rondon gets parried by Donnarumma who stretches on his left, then Savarino sends high the tap-in. On 14’ Chiesa tries the right, just wide.
On 19’ another very good chance for Venezuela: Machis drinks Di Lorenzo on the left and crosses into the center where Rondon on a slide puts wide from a step. On 27’ Retegui on Chiesa’s corner claims a penalty for an opponent’s hand touch, the referee lets it go on.
At 40’ botched by the Venezuelan goalkeeper and defense, Cambiaso touches to Retegui who right-footed strikes Romo and puts the Azzurri ahead. But three minutes later Donnarumma and Bonaventura combine a worse one, the goalkeeper hastily serves Bonaventura who pressed serves… Machis who doesn’t even control and left-footed easily equalizes.
Resume. In 59’ first Buongiorno and then Rondon save on the ubiquitous Rondo, then four minutes later Gigio overcomes himself by rejecting a shot by Cadiz. At 73’ Zaniolo, who had just entered, tried a left-footed shot from a great distance and Romo deflected it into a corner.
At’80’ Italy again took the lead: Jorginho, also recently entered, enters the area, feigns the shot and instead it is up to Retegui who turns and right-footed seals his personal double.
Azzurri come close to the tic-tac-toe at’83’ with Zaccagni, another newcomer, who committed Romo with a header. The’last chance è by Raspadori, entered in place of Retegui, who at 91’ served by Barella sends very high from a good position.
